Have You Thanked God for Your Problems?

SEPTEMBER 23

Before I was afflicted, I went astray. Now I have kept Thy word. … It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes. Psalm 119:67, 71

The worst thing that could happen to sinful people would be to live in a perfect environment.

Think about it: If God had left Adam in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden, Adam wouldn’t have known he had the fatal infection of sin, and he would not have sought the remedy for sin, which he found in the shedding of blood.

If affliction causes me to learn, then I’ve got to thank God for it. You see, what are God’s priorities for me? Health? Wealth? Service? Usefulness? Not necessarily. God’s plan for me is to be like Jesus.

Problems are designed not to crush us, but to crowd us to Christ who provided the remedy for sin by shedding His blood on the cross. The problem of sin is real and terrible, but it brings with it the possibility that we can be forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

If affliction causes you to be like Jesus, if you learn through it and are made mature through it, then you can thank God for it. The goal of God for my life is to become like Jesus Christ.

When was the last time you thanked God for the problems in your life? Think of them as vehicles that drive you to the heart of your Lord.

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.

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